FIG. 1a illustrates a second generation (2G) telecommunications environment 100, including a mobile or wireless device 102, a number of base stations 104 and 106, a home location register (HLR) 108, a mobile switching center (MSC) 110, a voice mail server (VMS) 112, a billing system 114, a provisioning system, e.g., a provisioning manager (PM) 116, a database 118, a point of sale (POS) office 120, and a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 122. A 2G network facilitates digital voice and data communication that enable features such as message waiting indication and short message services.
Mobile device 102, base stations 104 and 106, HLR 108, and MSC 110 provide cellular communication services to users. The cellular concept is well known and is generally described in a number of readily available books and articles. Generally, FIG. 1a depicts provisioning interfaces between nodes within the service environment. Accordingly, PM 116, which is the provisioning system maintained by a service provider, is adapted to interconnect various telecommunications service points, such as HLR 108, and VMS 112. PM 116 also provides usage information to billing system 114.
Typically, a user wishing to enroll in a telecommunications service, such as cellular service with a voice mailbox, contacts a POS office 120, either by visiting in person, by writing a letter, or by telephone. The service provider personnel enter the appropriate information into a database 118 to make available the services to the user.
As subscribers use the telecommunication services, PM 116 forwards usage information to the billing system 114, which prepares bills and sends them to the user. In view of the proliferation of telecommunications services and billing plans, the user has very little control over his or her service and billing customization over time. It is desirable that users have more control over the services and billing plans for which they are registered, preferably in a manner which does not impose an enormous burden on telecommunications service provider personnel.
As wireless communication use increases, users are demanding more services through their wireless phones or devices. New features becoming available include, for example, intelligent roaming, Internet browsing, and broadcast short message services. To respond to these demands, currently proposed third generation (3G) networks facilitate data communication using digital packet transmission techniques. The 3G systems will be a total communications solution combining cellular, fixed, and satellite services to fill any communication need. The 3G revolution enables a much broader use of “non-voice” or data communication for these additional services. For backward compatibility with legacy systems, 3G networks may employ conventional digital techniques. A 3G telecommunications environment (not shown in FIG. 1a) may include a number of “nodes” or other functional elements that are substantially equivalent to the functional components shown in FIG. 1a. 
Existing wireless systems are increasing their capabilities to provide 3G services or similar services to those offered in the 3G standard. Approval of additional spectrum by the International Telecommunication Union is further enabling the expansion of 3G opportunities. Two wireless systems that will incorporate 3G features are TIA/EIA-136 (TDMA) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), which is widely used in Europe and Asia. GSM offers voice and data services to users on a world-wide basis. Both the TDMA and GSM systems are evolving to accommodate high-speed data capabilities and 3G features. New and efficient data delivery technologies that are making 3G features possible include the High-Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) and the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The GPRS is a value-added service that allows information to be sent and received across the mobile telephone network. The GPRS supplements the Circuit Switched Data (speeds of 9.6 kbps) and Short Message Service (160 characters) to provide a theoretical maximum speed of 384 kbps. In practice, the GPRS will offer up to 115 kbps and mobile Internet access. The GPRS achieves this result by using all eight of the time-slots at the same time. This added bandwidth will facilitate new applications not previously available over the network.
GPRS involves overlaying a packet-based air interface on the existing circuit-switched GSM network. This gives the user an option to use the packet-based data service, which can provide greater bandwidth than using the teleservice delivery mechanism. In order to enable the GPRS capability, network operators need to add several new infrastructure nodes and make software upgrades to the existing network elements. These nodes include the Gateway GPRS Service Node (GGSN) and the Serving GPRS Service Node (SGSN). The GGSN acts as a gateway between the GPRS network and the Public Data Networks such as Internet Protocol (IP) or X.25. GGSNs also connect to other GPRS networks to facilitate GPRS roaming. The Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) provides packet routing to and from the SGSN service area for all the users in that service area. Other technical changes to the GSM or TDMA network include the addition of Packet Control Units, mobility management to locate the GPRS mobile station, a new air interface for packet traffic, and securities features.
HSCSD will concatenate or combine any number of the eight timeslots to offer data speeds up to ISDN rates (64 kbps). HSCSD will be implemented in the network mainly through software to allow operators to offer premium high-speed data services with very little investment.
An advantage of the GSM system for security and upgrading features is the use of its subscriber identity module (SIM). The SIM is a removable thumbnail or credit card-sized module that stores specific subscription, identification data, security management and personal telephone books for the respective user. The SIM allows the user to change handsets to get a GSM phone with the latest design or one with additional features while retaining all the personal information. For 3G services in both TDMA and GSM, the SIM cards are invaluable because special protocols and tool kits offer possibilities to download and run applications and/or features on the handset or card with embedded personal data for management and security. In addition, operators and service providers can easily and cost-effectively upgrade feature-sets or capabilities by issuing new cards to users without affecting handsets.
Activation of a typical service account requires the participation of service personnel (similar to activation for a 2G network account). In a conventional GSM environment, a customer purchases a SIM that has already been assigned an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), which, in the context of current standards, is a 15 digit number that uniquely identifies the customer. At the time the SIM is purchased, the user must select the wireless services (e.g., the wireless calling features, rate plans, coverage areas, voice mail capabilities, messaging capabilities, or the like) so that the wireless service provider can activate the selected service features for the given IMSI (and, consequently, the SIM).
FIG. 1b illustrates the general system involving a service provider customer service center (CSC) involvement in the activation process for a system using the TIA/EIA-41 standards for inter-node communication. The over-the-air activation process is enabled by teleservices. Teleservices are applications that use the air interface and network interface as bearers for transportation between teleservice servers and mobiles to provide end-to-end service to users. One teleservice is over-the-air activation teleservice (OATS). This service provides over-the-air activation and enables the mobile user to call the service provider without needing to be in the same location to activate the service.
The network architecture for providing OATS messages is shown in FIG. 1b. The mobile station 102 communicates with the base station 104 via a standard protocol such as TIA/EIA 136, for example. The mobile switching center/visitor location register (MSC/NVLR) 110 will communicate OATS messages from the teleservices server 152, via a network interface such as the TIA/EIA-41 network interface using the Short Message Delivery Point-to-Point (SMDPP) protocol. The MSC 110 translates the teleservice information from the SMDPP to the Relay Data (R-DATA) message format and transmits the message over the air interface to the mobile device 102. The teleservice server 152 must also communicate with the home location register (HLR) 156 to obtain routing information for teleservices. In addition to these elements, the customer service center (CSC) 158 launches the activation process and enters the subscriber information into the HLR and billing system 114.
An over-the-air-activation function (OTAF) 154 is a functional part of the teleservice that handles OATS messages and serves as a temporary HLR for an unactivated mobile. Throughout the activation process shown in FIG. 1b, the customer service center representative must be physically involved to obtain and input information. Initially, the user is only able to make a call to the CSC 158 before service is generally activated. At this point, the programming or activation process is initiated. A reauthentication procedure insures that the mobile has stored appropriate authentication-related variables that are used to generate the voice privacy mask and signaling message encryption key. With successful reauthentication, the voice privacy and signaling message encryption are activated and the conversation between the user and the CSC 158 is secure. At this point, billing information may be provided to the service provider's representative.
There are many deficiencies in the approach to wireless device activation. Assigning IMSIs to SIMs prior to the activation of services can place an unnecessary burden on IMSI resources. This burden is caused by unused or obsolete SIMs being discarded before activation, resulting in a waste of assigned IMSIs. Furthermore, activation schemes that require assistance from service technicians are susceptible to human error and inefficiencies, and such activation schemes can be very inconvenient for customers.